Submarine signaling and salvage apparatus.



R. UKUSA.

SUBMARINE SIGNALING A'ND SALVAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION F1LED JULY 28,1914. 1. 17 4?, Patented Apr. 4;, 1916,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

awuizwtoz un/ Mama's n. OKUSA.

SUBMARINE SIQNAUHG AND SALVAGE APPARATUS. APPLiCAi'IQH FILED JULY 28. 19M.

Patented Apr. 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi lmeoom ROKURO OKUSA, 0F FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

SUBMARINE SIGNALING A1\TD SALVAGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Application filed July 28, 1914. Serial No. 853,751.

T 0 all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, Roxnno OKUSA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Submarine Signaling and Salvage Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved signaling and salvage apparatus for use on a vessel, especially a submarine vessel, to indicate the position of the vessel in the event that it should sink to the bottom, to enable communications to be maintained with the crew of the sunken vessel and to also enable the sunken vessel to be raised, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a portion of a submarine vessel provided with my improved signaling and salvage apparatus and showing such apparatus in use as'when the vessel is sunken. Fig. 2 is'a similar view of the samewith the signaling and salvage apparatus in inoperative position when the vessel is proceeding under normal conditions and with the doors closed. Figs. 3 and 4: are detail views.

For the purposes of this specification a portion of a submarine vessel is indlcated at l, the deck being indicated at 2 and being shown as provided with an opening 3. In accordance with my invention I construct the vessel with a salvage chamber 4 which is maintained by water tight bulk heads 5. This chamber is for the reception of the crew in the event that the vessel sinks. I also provide a box 6 which is arranged in the center of the salvage chamber, above the floor thereof and which depends from the deck. the upper end of the box being under the opening 3 and the box having its upper I end normally closed, by a pair of doors 7 which are hinged at their'outer sides as at 8 and are provided with interlocking flanges 9 at their opposin sides. These doors are buoyant and in practice are preferably made of wood but may be made of any material lighter than water and by which the doors will be enabled tv be released and opened by the action of the water. To secure the doors in closed position and to partially open them so as to admit water into the box 6 and cause the water to complete the opening of the doors I provide a screw shaft 10. The upper end of said shaft is threaded, as shown in detail in F ig 4, and is engaged with the threaded bore of a cap 10 which is pivotally connect" as at 10 to one of the doors 7. When said shaft is turned in one direction it forces the cap upwardly and causes the latterv to open the doors as will be understood. The shaft passes through an opening in the bottom of the box.

A cable 11, of suflicient size and length to enable the vessel to be raised, is arranged in a coil in the box 6. One end of the cable is securely attached to the vessel as at 12 and the upper end thereof is attached to a messenger cord 13 of suitable length and which in practice is provided with number knots or other marks indicating feet, fathoms, or

other units of measure and in ascending series from the inner or lower end of the messenger cord. This messenger cord is normally 1n practice arranged 1n co1ls 14 so that it may be compactly arrangedun the box above the cable and yet prevented from naling device 16. The cable is held normally in a coil by means of a series of radially arranged wires 17 each of which 13 secured atone end to the bottom of the box at a point within the coil and is detachably connected or otherwise connected. as at 18 at the opposite end. to the bottom of the box at a point without. the coil. The detachable connections at the outer ends of the said wires are such as to cause the wires to yield when the cable is drawn up and uncoiled. so that the said wireswhile permitting the cable tohe readily uncoiled slightly retard the uncoiling thereof and prevent the cable from being fouled when uncoiling. The walls of the box are here shown as provided with a circular window 19 which may be opened. but which are normally closed. secured. and hermetically sealed.- I also provide a flexible air supply pipe 20 of suitable length and which is normally arranged in oil or coils in the box and is provided at, lower end with a coupling 21 for the attachment of a flexible pipe 22 that is connected to an air pump 23 carried in the chamber 4. A telephone or other signaling instrument is in- (heated at 24 on one wall or bulk head of the chamber 4 and a conducting wire or cord 25 for the telephone is associated with and attached to the flexible air supply tubevidedwith a pivotally mounted valve 27.

This valve is normally closed and has a lever arm. An au'xlhary float 28 is provided for opemng thevalve and is connected to the I lever arm thereof by a'cord29. The auxil iary, valve opening float, is associated with the float 26. -The conductor wire or cord terminates also at the top of the float 26 so that .a telephone can be readily attached thereto bya rescue party/ Normally-all the apparatus will be con tained in the box 6 and the door 7 will beclosed. Should the vessel sink, the crew are ordered into the salvage c amber and the door in its bulk head or wall closed. The doors 9 are then started by the screw shafts 10 and caused to be opened by" the inrushing waterin the box 6. The=floatsare carried up'through thewater to the surface and in doing so carry with them the messenger cord l3 and the air tube 20 and telephone conductor 25. The floats by the signals they carry indicateon the surface of the water the position of the sunken submarine. The signal, if the accident be at night may be electric lamps, and these may be supplied by a magneto 31 in the salvage chamber. The

messenger cord owing to'its'knotsor grad.-

uations indicate to a rescue crew from, an-

- v other-vessel the depth of the water in which the submarine is sunk and this messenger cord also enable's the cable to be uncoiled and drawn up by the rescue crew and used for raising the sunken vessel. Thepipe 20 in connection with its float 26 and the pump 23 enables the crew in the salvage chamber to be keptsupplied with air and the telephone connection. enable communications to be carried on between the imprisoned crew and the rescue crew, so as to greatly facilitate the salvage operations.

In practice each of the coils 14: will be arranged in a casing and thereby protected and any suitable number ofthese coils will be provided' l The shaft 10 will also in practice, in addition to the hand wheel here shown at the lower end thereof be provided with an operating wheel 10 mounted in bearings l0 which prevent vertical movement thereof and having a threaded opening through which the threaded portion of said shaft 10 extends so'that said shaft 10 may be movedvertically by turning said wheel and to open the doors 7.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A vessel having bulk heads extending to the deck and forming a salvage chamber.

a box' immediately under and attached to the deck and arranged in said salvage chamber, the said deck having an opening at the upper end of the box and, the latter having an openupper end in Saidopening, doorsto close said opening and the upper endjof the box, and door operating means extending down through the bottom of the box and 1 into the salvage chamber.

-2. A vessel having a deck opening, a box underthe deck and to which the opening leads, a cable coiled in the box and having one end secured to the vessel, inverted U- shaped wires arranged radially across the coils of the cable and having one end permanently attached to the bottom of the box and the other end detachably secured thereto, so that said wires retard the uncoiling of the cable, a messenger 'cord attached to the cable and also adapted tobe arranged compactly in the box, and .a float attached to the messenger cord.

3. A vessel having a deck provided with an opening,'a box immediately under and attached to the deck and having an open upper end arranged in said deck opening, doors to' close said opening and the upper end of the-box, a screw shaft to lock and to open the doors and extending down through the bottom of the'box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROKURO OKUSA. Witnesses! MILTON M. DARNSBY,

FRANCES M. Cox. 

